Marriott was already one of the largest hotel chains in the world when it bought the smaller Starwood brand in 2016. What Starwood lacked in size, it more than made up for with its renowned loyalty program called Starwood Preferred Guest. Shortly after the merger, travelers could freely transfer points between their Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest accounts, allowing everyone to enjoy the best of both worlds.

However, many fans of Starwood and Marriott remain confused as to which is the best credit card to use, as there are now several that earn points in these programs. Let’s take a look at what’s available, and see which one is best for you:

The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express, a Credit Cards Explained advertiser, offers new applicants up to $200 in statement credits. Earn $100 after making $1,000 in new purchases within three months of account opening, plus earn an additional $100 statement credit after your first purchase at a participating SPG or Marriott property. Through July 31, 2018, this card allows you to earn 2 points for dollar at Starwood hotels, and one point per dollar spent elsewhere. There’s a $95 annual fee for this card that waived the first year, and no foreign transaction fees.

The Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express

The Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express, a Credit Cards Explained advertiser, is very similar to the personal version, but with a few key differences. It also offers up to $200 in statement credits, $100 after spending $1,000 in purchases within three months of account opening, plus earn an additional $100 statement credit after your first purchase at participating SPG or Marriott properties. It also features complimentary, unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi on up to four devices at more than 1,000,000 Boingo hotspots worldwide, as well as complimentary access to the Sheraton® Club Lounges. But as with the personal card, there’s a $95 annual fee for this card that waived the first year, and no foreign transaction fees.

The Marriott Rewards Premier® Credit Card from Chase

The Marriott Rewards Premier® Credit Card offers new applicants 75,000 bonus points after you use it to spend $3,000 within three months of account opening. It also features 5x points at both Marriott and Starwood hotels, 2x points for airline, rental car and restaurant purchases, and one point per dollar spent elsewhere. This card also offers you a free night stay in a Category 1-5 hotel each year on your account anniversary. It also gives you 15 Elite credit after account opening, which is enough for Silver Elite status each year. Finally, you can earn one additional credit towards Elite status each year for each $3,000 you spend. There’s an $85 annual fee for this card that is waived the first year, and no foreign transaction fees.

The Marriott Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card from Chase

The Marriott Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is nearly identical to the personal version. However, it offers Marriott Rewards Gold Elite benefits when you spend $50,000 on purchases each account year, and its annual fee is $99. It also offers 2x points for purchases from airlines, car rental agencies, restaurants, office supply stores, and for internet, cable and phone services purchases.

The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card from Chase

Ritz-Carlton is a Marriott brand, and the Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card can make sense for those who stay at Ritz-Carlton properties. It offers new applicants two free nights at any participating Tier 1-4 Ritz-Carlton hotel, after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. You also earn 10,000 bonus points after you add your first authorized user who makes a purchase within three months of account opening. Like the Marriott Rewards card, it offers 5x points at Ritz-Carlton, Marriott and Starwood hotels, 2x points for airline, rental car and restaurant purchases, and one point per dollar spent elsewhere.

Other benefits include a $300 annual travel credit, three club level upgrades each year, and a $100 hotel credit during paid stays of two nights or longer. It also offers access to airport lounges with the Priority Pass Select program. It also offers a $100 discount on round-trip, domestic airline reservations for 2-5 passengers and a $100 credit towards an application for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. You also get Gold Elite status your first year and each subsequent year that you spend $10,000 on your card.

Finally, you can earn Platinum Elite status when you use your card for $75,000 in purchases in an account year. There’s a $450 annual fee for this card, and no foreign transaction fees.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

While this premium travel rewards card isn’t co-branded with Marriott or Starwood, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is worthy of consideration. It offers new applicants 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. You also earn 3x points on all travel and dining purchases. Points can be redeemed for 1.5 cents each towards travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel center. Or, you can transfer your points to miles with several different airlines or points with hotel programs including Marriott and Ritz-Carlton.

Other benefits include a $300 annual travel credit and access to airport lounges with the Priority Pass Select program. There’s a $450 annual fee for this card, and no foreign transaction fees.

Which should you get?

The Starwood cards make much more sense than the Marriott cards, as Starwood points are officially worth three times as much as Marriott points. This means that the Marriott card’s rate of return is substantially lower than the Starwood cards. The Ritz-Carlton card can be compelling to those who frequently stay at their properties and can utilize room upgrades, club lounge access, and hotel credits. Finally, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is an excellent choice for many frequent travelers as it will offer 3x rewards at any hotel, and plenty of impressive benefits, while still giving you the ability to transfer rewards to airline or hotel programs.

The combination of Marriott and Starwood has created a true powerhouse in the hospitality industry. By choosing the right credit card, you can make the most out of every dollar you spend when traveling.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason Steele is one of the leading journalists covering the credit card industry and travel rewards. His work appears at many of the top personal finance websites and is regularly syndicated by mainstream sites such as MSN Money and Yahoo! Finance. Learn more about Jason Steele

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